The timeline may be adjusting.
At last word, receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was targeting a return to action in the middle of November. Dan Graziano of ESPN.com now reports, citing multiple unnamed team executives, that the “realistic time frame” for Beckham playing again is “around mid-December.”
Beckham may feel otherwise. He reportedly has been cleared for all non-contact work following the ACL tear he suffered during Super Bowl LVI.
The challenge for Beckham and any interested teams continues to be the timing for doing a deal. Any team that waits until Beckham is fully 100 percent and ready to go may have waited too long. But Beckham also should resist rushing a decision, since he has full flexibility to pick the contender he deems to be the most attractive.
The Chiefs, Bills, and Rams have been most closely linked to Beckham. Recently, Beckham complained about the quality of the offers he has received from the Rams. Coach Sean McVay responded by saying that’s not the best number.
At some point, someone will be putting their best number on the table — and Beckham will take it. The teams most willing to go all in for that player or two who can make a major difference tend to find themselves in competition for championships. The 49ers have done it with Christian McCaffrey. Others may do the same between now and the November 1 trade deadline.
Eventually, someone will get Beckham. It will better position that team to contend, and it will prevent a competitor from getting that same bump.